Wingman

In a situation where two guys encounter two (or more) ladies, and one guy would like to strike up a private conversation with one of the ladies, the other guy is designated the wingman. The wingman's duty is to distract her friends, so as to increase the chances of a favorable outcome for the other guy (digits, hookup, etc.).

First published in the Weekly Shounen Jump from 1983 (issue 31-) to 1985 (-issue 39), Wingman was the first manga by famous mangakaMasukazu Katsura (I''S, Video Girl Ai, DNA^2, Zetman) and was an instant hit with the readers, ensuring the fame und success of it's author right from the start. It combined cool, flashy super hero action with romance and cute girls. Due to it's popularity, it was also soon turned into an anime, Dream Warrior Wingman, which ran 47 episodes.

The story revolves around Kenta, a fan of sentai series (Ultraman, Masked Rider, Power Rangers, etc), who also likes to cosplay as his own character Wingman in school, delivering justice, when needed. So he is a strange individual indeed. One day, he finds Aoi, a mysterious young girl from the dimension of Powdream, where dreams can take shape. She carries with her a strange note-pad which makes everything written in it come true. So Kenta sees and takes the chance to transform into Wingman for real. And he needs the super-powers he now received, because the Dictator Rimel, who controls Powdream wants to get the note-pad back and Aoi out of his way, and so he sends waves and waves of goons after her, which Kenta now has to fight. And to help Kenta, he also uses the pad to transform two of his female friends and Aoi into the Wing-girls, who fight at his side.

The manga wouldn't be a true Katsura, if it didn't have cute girls and romantic misfortunes: Kenta is in love with his classmate Miku, but now also becomes interested in Aoi. Both girls love him, too, so hilarity ensues.

The wingman is a venerable and sacred position between men. When one guy is trying to impress a woman, it's the wingman's job to facilitate the process. The wingman keeps the conversation lively and light.

So, for example, a decent wingman might try his best to keep his friend's attention focused on chatty and, hopefully, sparkling conversation, rather that on turning into a goofy klutz who has an obvious crush on the woman he wants to date. The wingman will keep his friend talking about all sorts of topics, trying hard to make sure they are light enough so the friend will keep smiling.

When the woman comes to talk to the pair, the wingman's job is to let the two of them go at it for a while, then jump in with some pithy comment when the conversation lags a bit, as it almost always does.

Personally, I usually accompany such interjections with some vaguely queeny hand gestures that lighten up the conversation, while at the same time signaling to the woman that I am off-limits.

Interestingly, I actually perfected my own wingman skills by hanging around gay men and drag queens. It really is the best training ground, if you must know the truth.

Another part of the wingman's role is to make sure the evening ends at the appropriate moment. This is a discretionary call, and the decision here often separates the truly great wingman from the rest. On my last stint as a wingman, for example, I was aided greatly by my fortuitous choice of the meatloaf for dinner. No, seriously, Cordon Bleumeatloaf.

Well, I had no chance of getting through the huge slab of meatloaf I was served, and it gave me an obvious out when I felt we'd been there long enough. And wouldn't you know? My full stomach wound up being my excuse for my friend and myself to leave at just the right time.

But the wingman's final, and most important, duty -- the one he at once hopes for and dreads -- is to take a bullet for the team, so to speak. This can take several forms. If the woman has a friend of her own, for example -- someone to stand in the way -- the wingman's job is to take her out of the picture, no matter who she is. Or, if the wingman's friend winds up with a shot at an evening with the woman of his dreams, the wingman's job is to take out his cell phone, pretend there was some family emergency or something, and leave. Walking home, if necessary.